Monday, February 29, 2016

This Week We Saw Miracles After Miracles

Hey Everyone!

This week was great. FHE was so much fun. We got to make Human Sundaes (the pics will explain it all). We also got our Shred hats from Jeff this week. They are awesome! 

 

We also had this amazing lesson with this guy named Ty. He is a Samoan and it was so cool because once we taught him the Restoration, he said the closing prayer in Samoan. The Spirit was so strong as he was saying the prayer. 

 

We also met this girl named Areli the other day and were able to have a lesson with her and get to know her a little bit better. She said that she was baptized at the age of 8 and that her parents got sealed in the temple but her parents have gone really less active and her mom has anti feelings about the church for some reason. So we were going over the Restoration and on the second page of the pamphlet it has a picture of a family on it and we kinda breezed over how the gospel blesses families and went on but later she stopped us and went back to the page where it had the picture of the family. It took her a second to speak in her broken English to us as she started to get choked up because she loves her family so much. She asked us, "if my mom decides not to be a member and come to church then after we die, will I see her again?" We told her that she would and that it would be through her example that her parents would be able to come back into the gospel. That was one of the most spiritual things that has happened to me while I have been out in the field and it gave me such hope for others.

 

We also had a lesson with this former investigator named Daniel yesterday and we were able to teach him the Restoration and he felt the Spirit and at the end of the lesson we invited him to be baptized on March 19th and he said yes! It is so awesome how being obedient brings forth blessings.

 

I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to serve a mission and am grateful for the opportunity to see others lives change by living the gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that we have a living prophet hear on the Earth that leads and guides us. I know that through living the gospel we can become closer to our families and have a happy and joyful life. We listened to this talk by Elder Ballard yesterday and one thing that stuck out to me was when he said, "The Plan of Salvation or The Plan of Happiness begins and ends with families." That really stuck out to me and helped me to understand the importance of strong family relationships.

I hope y'all have a great week! I love and miss y'all!!

Love,

Elder Rudd

 Human Sundaes

Elder Sundae

 God Bless America!

The car wash

 

California rainbows "in the car wash."

You probably don't want to drink this water!

Monday, February 22, 2016

Hey Everyone!

So I don't know about all of y'all but when you are on a mission things seem to fly bye. It feels like just yesterday I was getting onto the plane and heading out to Utah!! I am so glad that I am able to serve here in the California, Carlsbad mission! 

So I am sure all of y'all are waiting to hear whether or not I am going to be transferred and guess what...I'm not. I will be staying in the Vista YSA for the next 7 weeks! I am happy that I get to serve here because it is such a great area! 

This week we were able to have a couple of lessons, one with this guy named Victor who we have been trying to get a hold of for quite a while but could never have a lesson with and then this other person named Monti who we have been trying to get a hold of and have a lesson with and were able to finally do so. He also had a couple of his friends there with him and they wanted to hear our message too so we were bale to teach them about the gospel and help them strengthen their relationship with their Savior. They all said that they would read and study the Book of Mormon and we have a lesson set up with them in a couple of days. 

I know that Christ suffered for all of our sins and that through him we can all be cleansed from every pain and bad choice we have ever made. I know that through reading the Book of Mormon we truly can come closer to our Lord and Savior and better understand what our purpose is hear on Earth.

I hope y'all have a great week!!

I love and miss y'all!!

Love,

Elder Rudd

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Several photos we received from a wonderful member in Vista, CA.

A wonderful surprise!

 

 

Baptism in the Zone! 

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Hey Everyone,

 

This week was a week that I will never forget! It all started last Monday at FHE. First we had this game where we had to eat these super disgusting jelly beans. They were skunk, soap, barf, etc. tasting. Oh the life of YSA missionaries, we do some of the weirdest things.

 

So the big thing that happened was that I got to be part of a sting operation in which they arrested someone that was schizophrenic and was saying that he was going to commit suicide. That was so much fun and crazy all at the same time, because what we had to do was lure him in by saying that we wanted to discuss some deep doctrine with him. We then went into a room and let him teach us, while someone else called to cops. It felt like an hour before they finally showed up, but when they did he was like, "I knew you called the cops on me." The freaky part was that the same night that he got arrested, he was calling us at like midnight...needless to say we did not sleep very well that night. Now don't worry.  Everyone that needed to be notified was and he has not tried to contact us since. Vista is a place where every day is a whole new adventure.

Another crazy and awesome thing that happened this week was that during Stake Conference there was this guy that was baptized and called as a Stake Young Men's counselor all on the same day. Apparently he had been investigating the church for the past 10 years and had been coming regularly, but never had gotten baptized. I thought that was so AWESOME!

 

So I have been reading the Book of Mormon again and have been coloring in yellow all of the references to Christ. It is so cool to see how on every page Christ is mentioned. It has helped me to strengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon and I know it can for you as well, so that is why I am going to invite you to start from the beginning of the Book of Mormon and to highlight or color in yellow all of the references there are to Jesus Christ. I know that what you find will help you to either strengthen your testimony of the Book of Mormon or help you to

gain a testimony of its truthfulness as Another Testament of Jesus Christ!!

 

I hope y'all have a great week!! I love and miss y'all!!

 

Love,

Elder Rudd

One of the FHE jelly beans... ick!

The room where is all went down...the cops left their gloves on the floor.

Walking "like Missionaries do"

The view on our way up to dinner

Another picture on our way up to dinner

Monday, February 8, 2016

Hey Everyone!

This week was a very eventful week! 

To start it all off I had to go to the person who's dog bit me and make sure that their dog had its rabies shots. It did and that was such a relief so that I didn't have to get shots. (Let's hope they were honest)

We also had a really fun FHE activity, where we had a scavenger hunt and talked to people about the gospel. One of the things we had to do was pass out a Book of Mormon. That was really fun and a great way to get our ward involved in missionary work. 

We also were able to find a new investigator named Peter this week. He has a real desire to learn and come closer to our Heavenly Father. Acey is doing well and we are working with her to set up an appointment to teach her some more. Yesterday we were able to teach Xavier the Plan of Salvation and it really meant a lot to him and he learned quite a lot about why we are here on Earth.

 

We also went on exchanges this week and I was with Elder Harris. He is such an awesome missionary that sets such a great example for all of us. I had so much fun with him on exchanges!

I learned this week that everyone has something that they can improve on and that as we work hard to attain our goals we will achieve them. I know that we can come closer to our Lord and Savior through prayer and scripture reading and attending church. Church is a place where we truly can feel the Spirit and I enjoy going every single week! 

I hope y'all have a great week!

Love Y'all!!

Love,

Elder Rudd

District Photo

Kissing a horse (Part of our FHE schavenger hunt activity)

Riding a horse (Part of our FHE activity)

District Photo (Looking at Goliath)

Exchanges with Elder Harris

Monday, February 1, 2016

Hey Everyone,

Well this week was a pretty good week. We were able to do quite a lot of things.

First off we were able to see Acey yesterday and were able to set up an appointment with her today. We are excited to be able to teach her some more and she has a real desire to learn about the gospel.

So we got a new bishop this week, his name is Bishop Conk, he was the first councilor before. We are excited to have him as our new bishop, he is awesome.

Another thing that happened this week was that we had a service project for this 95 year old man who's yard was in disrepair and needed help. He is such a nice man and I am so glad to have met him.

We also had some crazy rain and wind yesterday and so what do missionaries do...well we go out and talk to people. We have a goal of 200 contacts every single week and yesterday we still had 56 left so we decided we would spend the last hour of the night contacting and even though it was cold and super windy and people were telling us to get under shelter, we knew we could do it and we did. We were able to get 75 contacts which was awesome!

I know that as we follow the Prophet and his council we will not be led astray. I know that the Book of Mormon is truly Another Testament of Jesus Christ and that as we read it we can come closer to our Savior.

If you have not read the Book of Mormon before or haven't in a while I would invite you to do so because the words in that book are meant for us and help us strengthen our relationship with our Lord and Savior.

I hope y'all have a great week and I love y'all!

Love,

Elder Rudd